Chicken garden

I am growing a chicken garden to help stretch my food costs plus help if there are any chicken or other animals food issues in the near future. This garden is for storing food for later use

I plan to grow herbs and winter squash. Possible some grains. What would you suggest? Oregano is good for overall health. Cabbage can be used in early winter for breaking up monotony from cold weather.

In the summer they get anything left over from the garden areas. They love tomatoes!

Comments

  • VickiP
    VickiP Posts: 586 ✭✭✭✭

    In addition I would think most root crops would be good. My chickens will dig out my Jerusalem Artichokes if I let them. Also fodder beets (AKA Mangels) are a good food source for livestock. You might do a search for "fodder crops" and see if anything jumps out at you.

  • VickiP
    VickiP Posts: 586 ✭✭✭✭

    I found this website: https://www.feedipedia.org/ It looks like a very good resource.

  • Monek Marie
    Monek Marie Posts: 3,539 ✭✭✭✭✭

    @VickiP Wow, what a ton of info. Thank you

    I know there are several herbs that used fresh are good for chickens (oregano is one) and several that will keep bugs and mites out of their pens and runs.

    Food keeps going up so its time to grow more. In the summer they graze and get a lot of their own meals. They just get treats or a bribe at night to get them in their pens.

  • karenjanicki
    karenjanicki Posts: 989 ✭✭✭✭

    Wow very cool idea! I should look into that more. Thanks for sharing :).

  • JennyT Upstate South Carolina
    JennyT Upstate South Carolina Posts: 1,273 ✭✭✭✭✭

    My oldest is our chicken whisperer. And she wanted to plant a bunch of herbs and flowers for the chickens this past year. She read a lot and herbs like oregano, rosemary, thyme, sage, parsley, chives along with weeds and flowers like dandelion, chickweed, plantain, rose petals, borage, calendula, marigold & lavender. Basically what she learned I what is many that are good for us are also good for them. She makes teas, adds it to their food, and places it in their nesting boxes.

  • Monek Marie
    Monek Marie Posts: 3,539 ✭✭✭✭✭

    @JennyT Many herbs are very good to add to nesting boxes. Great job learning all the herbal uses too! Tell the chicken whisperer I am totally impressed!

  • COWLOVINGIRL
    COWLOVINGIRL Posts: 954 ✭✭✭✭

    @Denise Grant I would add potatoes, beets, and yes lots of tomatoes! Mine go NUTS over tomatoes, even the green ones!

  • frogvalley
    frogvalley Posts: 675 ✭✭✭✭

    The thing I remember most affectionately about our chickens is that while we had them, the roses were beautiful because the chickens ate all the bugs on them. They also loved to follow the lawn mower to eat the bugs it threw up. Best years ever!

  • marjstratton
    marjstratton Posts: 1,132 ✭✭✭✭

    I know that chickens really love "weeds" too. Dandelions and wild mustard and chick weed and plantain many more are all great. Chickens aren't real picky eaters (usually).

  • Monek Marie
    Monek Marie Posts: 3,539 ✭✭✭✭✭

    Yes, chickens seem to love all weeds. I feed them extra burdock leaves and comfrey.

    And they just love it when I pull my bean plants and toss them in their pens